Tag: getting active

Healthy Tip: Getting Active

Regular physical activity is strongly associated with a reduced risk of chronic conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, obesity and type 2 diabetes as well as improving mental health. Even small increases in physical activity can positively impact on health. Heart Research UK have some tips to help you keep active. 

  • Avoid long periods of inactivity
    Set a timer to go off at specific times throughout the day to prompt you to do ten (or more) minutes of physical activity. Any activity is better than none. You can include a variety of light, moderate and vigorous activities. E.g. a brisk walk, sit-ups, weight-lifting, gardening or housework.
  • Reduce screen time for kids
    It is common for children and young people to spend too much time sitting in front of a screen. Why not talk to your children about the importance of staying active and agree on a set amount of screen time each day/week and schedule in some time for getting active.
  • Don’t be a couch potato
    Rather than spending your evenings sitting on the sofa without moving much, why not try a few gentle exercises, such as leg raises, while watching your favourite TV show. Try opening YouTube and searching for a quick 10- or 20-minute workout video.
  • Change your daily commute
    Now that many of us are heading back to the workplace, try not to jump straight for the car as the main choice of travel. If you do need to drive to work, then why not park a little further away once you arrive in order to get some valuable steps in.

For more tips on how to stay healthy, sign up for our weekly healthy tips at www.heartresearch.org.uk/healthy-tips

To help keep your heart healthy, why not try out some of our Healthy Heart recipes from our website: https://heartresearch.org.uk/heart-research-uk-recipes-2/

Or have a look through our Healthy Heart cookbook filled with recipes from top chefs, celebrities and food bloggers:
https://heartresearch.org.uk/heart-research-uk-cookbook/

Healthy Heart Tip: Curb Your Couch Potato

We all spend at least some of our time each day sitting down, whether it’s when we are working or watching the television, but research shows that too much sitting can be bad for our heart.

We should ideally aim to sit down for no more than 8 hours each day, but this can be difficult, especially if we have a desk-based job.

Here are some tips on how to be more active:

Set a Movement Reminder

  • If you are working at a desk, try setting an alarm once every hour to get up and move. This could be as simple as walking to get a glass of water or doing a few star-jumps on the spot!

Vary Your Workspace

  • If you have access to a standing desk, this can be a great way to reduce the amount of time you spend sitting down. If not, there are lots of ways that you can still change your work setup, such as by using a raised surface like a kitchen worktop, or by placing your laptop on a sturdy box.

Take Active Breaks

  • Taking a short walk on a lunch break can be a great way to take your mind off your work, enhance your energy levels and get your heart pumping.

Get Creative

  • Setting cues can help to remind us to move during the day. A fun and creative way to do this is to label each door in your house with an exercise such as squats, star jumps or jogging, and every time you walk through each door, you do the exercise labelled on that door.

For more tips like this, please visit www.heartresearch.org.uk/health-tips

To help keep your heart healthy, why not try out some of our Healthy Heart recipes from our website: https://heartresearch.org.uk/heart-research-uk-recipes-2/

Or have a look through our Healthy Heart cookbook filled with recipes from top chefs, celebrities and food bloggers:
https://heartresearch.org.uk/heart-research-uk-cookbook/